NEW DELHI, Feb 21: Dressed in traditional attire and swaying to the sounds of drums, literature enthusiasts on Friday took out a ceremonial procession of books to mark the beginning of the 98th Marathi literary festival at the Talkatora Stadium here.
The 98th Akhil Bharatiya Marathi Sahitya Sammelan has returned to the national capital after a gap of 71 years and a year after Marathi was recognised as a classical language by the central government.
Over 3,000 writers, poets and literary enthusiasts have gathered here from across Maharashtra to take part in the festival that has a history of nearly 150 years.
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Prime Minister Narendra Modi is formally inaugurating the sammelan in the presence of Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, former Union minister Sharad Pawar among other dignitaries.
The sammelan was first held in 1878 with noted scholar and social reformer Mahadev Govind Ranade as its president. It has been held almost annually since 1926 and brought together scholars, critics and literary figures to deliberate on a range of issues, including the relevance of Marathi in changing times.
Well known expert of Marathi folk literature, culture, traditions and theatre artiste Tara Bhawalkar is the president of the conference.
The conference was last held in Delhi in 1954 with lexicographer Tarkatirtha Laxmanshastri Joshi as the president. The conference was inaugurated by the then prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Marathi books were carried in a palaquin from the Parliament House premises to the Talkatora stadium that has been named as the ‘Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Sahitya Nagari’ for the three-day event.
The sammelan will host a diverse array of panel discussions, book exhibitions, cultural performances, and interactive sessions with eminent literary figures. It will also celebrate the timeless relevance of Marathi literature and explore its role in contemporary discourse, including themes of language preservation, translation, and the impact of digitalization on literary works.
It will feature over 2,600 poetry submissions, 50 book launches, and 100 bookstalls among others. A special train from Pune to Delhi ferried nearly 1200 participants for the sammelan, showcasing the unifying spirit of literature. (PTI)
